Alex Chalk has become Justice Secretary. Number 10 have also announced that Chloe Smith will take over for Michelle Donelan as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology during the latter’s maternity leave.
It’s been a quieter political month with lots of publicity for the Government’s small boats plan. Ben Wallace continues his reign at the top of the ratings.
It is absurd to pretend a company with obvious links to the Chinese Communist Party does not pose a clear and present danger to national security.
Sunak’s rating is still lamentable and Hunt remains in negative ratings, but Sturgeon’s fall and Zelensky’s visit made last month’s political background less unfavourable.
So does Raab. Our top three are unchanged – and Alister Jack’s rating is up slightly, taking him to sixth place.
Those who believe the world’s heritage should be curated by universal museums hold hardcore ideologised radical views.
The Defence Secretary stays top, and he, Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly remain the only three Cabinet members to score above 50 points in both November’s and this Christmas survey.
The average score is the lowest recently, though not by all that much – a natural extension of the panel’s verdict yesterday on the Government’s economic policy.
Wallace is top again. Badenoch and Cleverly score well. Sunak wins a respectable rating. And Williamson is in negative territory.
The Prime Minister’s score is still dire: he is back in positive ratings, but not by very much. Though a substantial minority of the panel want him on the leadership election ballot and/or would vote for him had they the option, a larger majority of it does not.
I gave Johnson the night and was incredibly conflicted, still wanting to safeguard the interests of young people and not add to the chaos. But I came to the conclusion the next day that I had to go for the good of the country.
The vast majority of students will not go to Oxbridge, or on Love Island. The Minister for Higher Education is their champion.
She is pushing through reforms which are of tremendous significance, but as yet unnoticed by the wider public.
A pattern is beginning to form below the Defence Secretary, with Truss, Zahawi and Trevelyan coming in variously at second, third and fourth.
Meanwhile, Johnson is out of negative ratings for the first time in three months – and in comparative mid-table safety.
Those who believe the world’s heritage should be curated by universal museums hold hardcore ideologised radical views.